The first medical man to come to O’Leary was Dr. Daniel McLaughlin, who arrived in 1886 after graduating from Trinity Medical College the same year. Dr. McLaughlin was born in West River, Prince Edward Island, in 1860. He received his early education at the local school and continued to the Provincial Normal School in Charlottetown. After teaching for a few years, he enrolled in Trinity Medical College where he graduated in 1886 with first class honours and was a ”Fellow by Examination” and spent five months post-grad- uate study in Edinburgh after he was married. He has been described as a very talented young man of rare ability and sterling character.

Dr. McLaughlin built the present Dr. George Dewar house (Leighwood) a few months after his arrival in O’Leary. Mrs. D.S. Gorrill, a former resident of O’Leary and occupant of the house which was known as The Willow Hotel, recounted that Dr. McLaughlin and his wife stayed at The Willow Hotel until their own house was finished. Mrs. Gorrill stated that Dr. McLaughlin enjoyed the trust and confidence of the residents of the community in which he practised for fourteen years. Mrs. Gorrill was especially charitable in her remarks about Mrs. McLaughlin whom she described as ”a kind and cheerful English lady”. In 1896, Dr. McLaughlin’s expand- ing practice necessitated his procuring an associate. That associate was O’Leary's second medical man - Dr. Henry McEwen from St. Peter's Bay, P.E.l.

Dr. McEwen received his early education at the local district school. He taught at Prince of Wales College before beginning his study of medicine at Dalhousie University in 1891. He held a clinical clerkship in the Victoria General Hospital in his senior year. He also served one summer as surgeon on the H.M.S. Gulnre. After he gradu- ated in 1897, he married Annie W. MacKay from Freeland, P.E.l. The couple moved to O’Leary and took up residence in what was later the A.J. Matheson house. When Dr. McLaughlin moved to Charlottetown in 1900, Dr. McEwen bought Leighwood where they lived until 1918 when they moved to Summerside. So from 1896 until 1900, O'Leary had the services of two qualified medical men. A.J. Matheson dispensed drugs from a drug store located in the McLaughlin (or Leighwood) house.

From 1918 until 1938, Dr. J.B. Champion resided in Dr. McLaughlin’s house and provided medical services to the people of O’Leary and surrounding districts. Dr. Champion was from Malpeque, P.E.l., and was married to Susan Holland from Bedeque. He was the father of three children - Helen, Fred and Harry. Harry died at the age of ten after a tonsillectomy. Dr. Champion was in

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